Playbook PM: Schumer sets up voting rights endgame

Jan 18, 2022

By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

Presented by

Just after noon today, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER set in motion the parliamentary gears for a final confrontation over voting rights and election reform:

— He opened debate on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which were protected from a filibuster on the front end — meaning that this is the first time the two bills have been debated on the Senate floor.

— He filed cloture, which means the key vote to advance the legislation, which requires 60 votes, will come no later than Thursday (most likely at some point Wednesday).

After those parliamentary moves, he once again launched into a speech that drew on the history of the civil rights movement and the Jan. 6 insurrection to make the case for these two bills.

Senate Dems will meet in person at 5 p.m. today, and Schumer has scheduled a press conference after that caucus meeting.

More from Schumer today: "Senate Democrats are under no illusions that we face difficult odds. … But I want to be clear: When this chamber confronts a question this important, one so vital to our country, so vital to our ideals, so vital to the future of our democracy, you don't slide it off the table and say 'Never mind.' Win, lose or draw. Members of this chamber were elected to debate and to vote, especially on an issue as vital to the beating heart of our democracy as voting rights. … That may be the only way to make progress on this issue now: for the public to see where each of us in this chamber stands."

Burgess Everett: "Looks like there's no off-ramp here for Democrats. Schumer is full-steam ahead."

THE DRUMBEAT OF WAR GROWS LOUDER — "We believe we're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine," press secretary JEN PSAKI said at her briefing this afternoon. "I would say that's more stark than we have been." She called the situation "extremely dangerous."

— Today, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN is heading to Ukraine and Germany, the State Department announced. His meetings will include Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on Wednesday. More from USA Today

— New: Blinken will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister SERGEY LAVROV, which a U.S. official says indicates that "perhaps diplomacy is not dead," Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich reports .

— Even so, there's "a sense of the pessimism in the administration," which is now weighing sending more arms to Ukraine to try to dissuade Russia, per CNN's Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Katie Bo Williams, Barbara Starr and Alex Marquardt.

Good Tuesday afternoon.

A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API):

Progress is made in America and powered by natural gas and oil. Thanks to innovation and partnerships , U.S. methane emissions intensity fell nearly 60% in America's largest producing regions since 2011, even as America produced more affordable and reliable natural gas. To accelerate emissions reductions, API supports the direct regulation of methane for new and existing sources.

Learn more about how America's natural gas and oil is tackling methane emissions and producing energy to among the highest environmental standards worldwide.

JUDICIARY SQUARE

SCOTUS WATCH — NPR's Nina Totenberg is out with a dishy, in-depth look at tensions among the Supreme Court justices, among whom there's less comity these days than they'd like to project. Among the revelations:

— Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS asked the justices to wear masks amid the Omicron surge in light of Justice SONIA SOTOMAYOR's diabetes, which places her at high risk from Covid-19, but Justice NEIL GORSUCH has refused — prompting Sotomayor to participate remotely. Gorsuch is "prickly" and "not exactly beloved even by his conservative soulmates on the court," Totenberg reports.

— In the legal wilderness, the liberal justices are frustrated. Sotomayor drew headlines for questioning the court's future legitimacy if it overturns Roe v. Wade, but the others are upset too: Justice ELENA KAGAN "just shuts down, rather than alienate her colleagues. Still, her anger is often palpable, the color literally draining from her face. And Justice STEPHEN BREYER on occasion just holds his head."

— The conservative justices are often riven by not just legal/ideological divides but also personal ones: Justice SAMUEL ALITO "on occasion barely conceals his disdain for Roberts." And within the dominant conservative bloc, there's jockeying for ANTONIN SCALIA's mantle: "Several of the conservative justices see themselves as the heir apparent, the intellectual leader of the conservative wing." Still, this group is ascendant and often unified, and their squabbles are petty by historical standards: Totenberg ends the story with a look back at FELIX FRANKFURTER and WILLIAM DOUGLAS' scorched-earth fights.

CONGRESS

TWO MORE RETIREMENTS — Rep. JIM LANGEVIN (D-R.I.) is bowing out, announcing in a Providence Journal op-ed that he won't run for reelection, even after Rhode Island's hold on two congressional seats following the 2020 census averted an expected member-on-member showdown. Langevin is the first quadriplegic in the House and a cybersecurity leader.

— And Rep. JERRY MCNERNEY (D-Calif.) tweeted that he won't seek another term either, bringing the total number of House Dems departing to 28 so far.

SCHUMER IN THE HOT SEAT — The failures of Build Back Better and (soon) voting rights/election reform legislation "have cast a harsher spotlight on the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer," report WSJ's Eliza Collins, Siobhan Hughes and Andrew Duehren. Without a route to success, Schumer is coming under increasing fire from some activists. Still, he retains wide support among his caucus and from the White House, they report, including a laudatory statement President JOE BIDEN sent in for the article. "Accomplishing big things is not easy," a Schumer spokesperson said.

IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES — Some House Dems are calling for the party to jettison much of its Build Back Better agenda to concentrate specifically on its climate planks, which Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) has seemed open to, Josh Siegel reports for POLITICO Pro subscribers. "We should give Sen. Manchin the pen and let him take the lead in drafting something," progressive Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) said. "If Joe Manchin puts together a bill that has bold provisions on the climate, he may earn a place in American history."

But so far their Senate counterparts aren't biting, unwilling to give up on the major social policy BBB platforms — which could doom "their effort to ward off the worst effects of a warming planet." Josh's tweet thread about the story

PAGING JE MANCHIN — A group of West Virginia sports icons have written a letter to the Democratic senator urging him to support the Freedom to Vote Act. Signers include NBA legend JERRY WEST and Alabama football coach NICK SABAN, who have been longtime supporters of Manchin and recorded a campaign ad for him in 2018.

— The news prompted Rep. RALPH NORMAN (R-S.C.) to tweet that "Nick Saban should focus on winning National Championships instead of destroying our elections." Responds ESPN's MINA KIMES: "Trying to dunk on NICK FREAKIN SABAN for not winning enough is like saying the weather sucks in California when it rains once a year."

DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.

THE PANDEMIC

GOP WALKS THE COVID LINE — House Republicans are increasingly trying to hit Biden politically on his handling of the pandemic amid the ongoing Omicron surge, report Olivia Beavers and Adam Cancryn. They view it as an effective way to criticize his performance, especially as his approval rating on the coronavirus falls. But they're still not likely to make it the main prong of their midterms strategy: The issue resonates less with the GOP base, and Republicans' own history of dismissing Covid precautions make them less effective messengers.

POLITICS ROUNDUP

2024 WATCH — The RNC's DONALD TRUMP-inspired move last week to try to blow up the usual presidential debates is "yet another reminder of how expansive the former president's influence remains — and the stamp he'll put on 2024 regardless of whether he runs," writes David Siders . Many Republicans expect debates will still occur in some fashion in 2024, he reports — but that's no longer a sure thing.

THE OTHER GOP — Former White House chief of staff JOHN KELLY was among three dozen Trump administration alums who gathered virtually last week to discuss how to prevent Trump from damaging American democracy, CNN's Jake Tapper reports . "The only items the group seemed to agree upon in its first meeting, however, were that they're not sure what their way forward should be, and that they are way behind the efforts of former President Donald Trump and his allies to set the stage for 2022, 2024, and beyond."

HOT ON THE RIGHT — As the March for Life returns to Washington on Friday, some anti-abortion activists are daring to hope that this could be their last march under Roe v. Wade after nearly half a century, WaPo's Casey Parks reports. "The mood is incredibly different today," Ohio Right to Life executive director PETER RANGE says.

2022 WATCH — Former Michigan A.G. BILL SCHUETTE won't challenge Democratic Rep. DAN KILDEE, a setback for Republicans who have been eyeing the newly competitive seat.

AD WARS — ALEX LASRY, running in the Wisconsin Democratic Senate primary, is commencing a $1 million ad buy on TV, with additional digital ads and mailings in the works, NBC's Natasha Korecki reports. Lasry focuses on the supply chain, inflation, voting rights and linking GOP Sen. RON JOHNSON to Trump. One of the ads

— Here's one way to get attention: Democratic Louisiana Senate candidate GARY CHAMBERS smokes marijuana in a new campaign ad calling for legalization. The Advocate's Tyler Bridges calls it "a blunt appeal to voters." The ad

TRUMP CARDS

NEW YEAR, NEW ME — A year out of office, Trump "feels increasingly emboldened to remain in politics after watching top Republicans bend to his will despite his role in the January 6 insurrection and because of the myriad challenges President Joe Biden has faced during his first term so far," CNN's Gabby Orr reports. His political operation has gotten more organized under the direction of SUSIE WILES, and he's feeling increasingly positive about playing a role in the midterms and gearing up for 2024. Plus more details on which old and new faces are in Trump's orbit

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

RAKING IN THE DOUGH — New York Gov. KATHY HOCHUL has raised $21.6 million for her reelection campaign — "a record-smashing sum that positions her as the prohibitive favorite to win a full term as governor this fall," reports NYT's Nicholas Fandos. Hochul has more than $21 million cash on hand. Her fundraising prowess is driving competitors from the field, though it could also open up a political liability around which special interests are donating to her.

BDB BOWS OUT — Former New York City Mayor BILL DE BLASIO, meanwhile, announced he won't run for governor. More from Sally Goldenberg

THE NEW GOP — From ruby-red Idaho, Eric Scigliano has a new feature in POLITICO Magazine on the Republican gubernatorial primary that's exposing some of the party's fault lines — not just between estranged Gov. BRAD LITTLE and Lt. Gov. JANICE MCGEACHIN, but also including the militant AMMON BUNDY and a state legislator who doxed a 19-year-old intern. The cleavages are not only ideological, he reports, but also generational and attitudinal. And then of course there's Trump's effect on the race.

DESANTIS' LATEST GAMBIT — Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS is seeking to create an Office of Election Crimes and Security, a first-in-the-nation special police force focused on elections. WaPo's Lori Rozsa and Beth Reinhard report that the move has voting rights advocates worried about intimidation, though Republican state legislators haven't yet signed on to the idea.

POLICY CORNER

UP IN THE AIR — AT&T today said it would delay some of its 5G rollout near airports after airlines warned of massive disruptions to flights if the activation went ahead Wednesday, per CNN.

PLAYBOOKERS

BOOK CLUB — Former A.G. Bill Barr is coming out with a memoir called "One Damn Thing After Another," publishing March 8, reports AP's Hillel Italie. The book will cover both his stints atop the Justice Department. $35 on Amazon

MEDIA MOVES — Heidi Vogt moved up to be technology and cybersecurity editor at POLITICO, and Konstantin Kakaes is joining as deputy editor. He previously was an editor at MIT Technology Review. … Noticias Telemundo has named its new, all-female executive team, including Gabriela Tristán as SVP of news, Gemma Garcia as SVP of digital news and Vanessa Pombo as SVP of business operations. More from The Hollywood Reporter … CBS News is adding or promoting Anthony Galloway as SVP of CBS News streaming, Kaci Sokoloff as VP of CBS News booking and David Reiter as executive producer of CBS News special events.

TRANSITIONS — Timothy Broas is now senior of counsel at Wilson Sonsini's government investigations practice. He most recently was counsel at Bryan Cave and is a former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. … Steve Marchese is joining Cornerstone Government Affairs' federal government relations team. He's spent 21 years at House Appropriations, most recently as clerk for the Legislative Branch Subcommittee Dems, and is a State Department alum. … Blair Larkins has launched a new government relations firm, Stumptown Strategies LLC. She most recently was a principal and the chief House GOP liaison at the Bockorny Group, and is a Greg Walden alum.

A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API):